


Love is Work

by endlessnightlock (Endlessnightlock)



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: Cannon, F/M, I guess that’s what you would call this, Poetry, Reference to Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-04
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2020-10-06 19:00:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20511914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Endlessnightlock/pseuds/endlessnightlock
Summary: Written for Tales of Panem Week 10Prompt “Work”.Inspired by merciki and her beautiful stories.





	1. Chapter 1

Love is work.

Don’t give up on her.

The train pulls into the station,

And you let go

Disillusioned, crushed, and 

Hurting

You leave her alone

But what you don’t know

Is just how much

She wanted you to stay by her side 

And never let go of her hand

Now she’s cold

Now she’s standoffish

And you think she doesn’t care

You think it was all lies

Made up stories

To save you both

You don’t know 

What she really feels for you

She’s not good with words

But if she knew how to say them

She’d tell you

That you are life, 

You are hope, 

You are warmth

But she’s afraid

Afraid that she can’t trust her heart

Afraid _ they _ have made her feel 

This way about you

Afraid _ they _ have warped her mind

Because she never wanted to fall in love

Can’t conceive that’s what is happening

With you

Despite what the Rebellion has made her-

Their Mockingjay,

Or the Capitol, 

Their winged, flightless bird,

She’s still just a girl

She’s your girl

She tries not to feel for you

She’s afraid to have her heart trampled 

Afraid that you will be taken away

Like her father 

Like her mother (still here, but gone)

Like her sister (not yet, but soon)

Like her best friend (not yet, but soon) 

You questioned whether any of it was real

One day you will know

Love is work

But she is worth it

* * *

  


Love is work

He’s still there

He’s still deep inside

This wrecked shell of a boy

Who has seen too much

Heard too much

Felt too much pain

His blood spilt

Because of you

(Because you love him

And _ they _will break you

Whatever it takes

_ They _ need to break you)

Don’t give up on him

You simply don’t understand today,

Because your own pain is inconsolable

You faltered, yes

You stumbled

You’ve failed him in small things

Because you grieve for him

You’re sure that you’ve lost him

You think that he’s gone

He’s not

He’s trying to get back

He doesn’t want to be

The boy who coiled his fingers around your throat

The boy whom you say that you now hate 

Because he sees the real you

You don’t understand

He’s _ always _ seen the real you

Not the Mockingjay, and

Not the bird with clipped wings

But the girl

The brave girl 

The girl who stops the birds with her song

The girl with two braids and a red plaid dress

The girl who had given up

The girl who was dying in the rain

The girl he took a beating for

The girl he offered everything he had

He’s confused

He’s hurting

His memories are warped

He’s been through the true hell

Depravity of man can conjure up

Don’t give up on him

Now is your chance

Don’t let him die

Don’t let him give in to his broken mind

In this subterranean hell

Where you started with so many

But are now left with so few

“Peeta,” you say, “Don’t let him take you away from me. Stay with me.”

“Always.” 

And it’s true

It is always

Love is work

But he is worth it

  
  



	2. If the sky is dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this based off a quote by Cha- (tumblr)
> 
> “And if the sky is dark, I’ll draw stars for you.”
> 
> Couldn’t get it out of my head so this happened.

Darling if the sky is dark 

I’ll draw stars for you

When the demons in your mind

Come to take you away 

From the land of the living

From the place where I love you

I’ll hold tightly to you

I won’t let you go 

I won’t ever let you be taken from me again 

I’ll twine my arms around your middle 

I’ll press my body to your back 

I’ll hum a song in your ear

About our life

About what’s still good in this world 

About the things that are real

When the black threads of terror 

Curl their talons into your soul

When you feel yourself 

Slipping, slipping, slipping

I’ll pull you back 

I’ll hold you tight

Take my strength 

It’s fleeting yes, 

It ebbs and flows

(Because there are days 

When I lie in our bed

Every vestule of my resolve to live flown

Like the singed bird with its damaged wings

And you come to me then

You climb in beside me 

You pull the covers up

We shut out the world)

I sometimes feel as though 

We have only the one strength 

To share between us

When the days are short

And the nights are long

And tonight I seem to carry it all

So take it, 

Take it from me

It’s all for you

For you I’d gladly drain myself 

I’ll hold you close 

I’ll whisper in your ear 

I’ll paint the images in your mind

They are bursting with color 

Alight with life and brilliance 

These lights burn down on us

From far above in benevolence

And not a prequel to our deaths 

It’s funny, isn’t it darling

That you are the artist

And here I am wielding the brush

But maybe, maybe 

Because of you

I can paint in hues of our lives

Shades of our memories 

Textures of our bodies 

I’ll bring you back 

From the darkness within 

Because you saved me 

Because we saved each other

  
  
  
  



	3. A Good Man

I hate to think of the years I spent afraid of surrendering

and loving you the way I should have

time wasted on fear of losing the small amount of myself I held safe

such a silly girl- love was never made to be kept in

what I knew from watching the love around me-

it was never easy

love was a fight, a vicious game

two people at war slowly surrendering pieces of themselves

tiny battles here, losses there

with neither left standing at the end

it was strange to me, completely absurd

that when I broke 

when I couldn’t rely on myself

when I really needed you- you were there

and you never wielded love like a sword

you didn’t crush my spirit beneath your heel 

like a victor claiming their spoils

there was no gaining the upper hand

instead, when I took off my armor 

and begged you to come and hold me, 

you dropped your guard and came

your love isn’t hard

your love doesn’t require an offering or an appeasement

it gives easily, asking for little in return

a soft voice when you’re hurting too

an ear to hear, a portion of my time

an understanding and acceptance of who you are

things you have freely given to me

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
